Portsmouth manager John Mousinho believes his side should have claimed at least a point following their late defeat at Swansea City on Saturday.
Substitute Liam Cullen’s strike 12 minutes from time condemned Pompey to another away loss, despite what Mousinho about Swansea defeat described as a solid performance in south Wales.
The Blues appeared set for a hard-earned draw in an evenly-matched Championship encounter before Cullen’s finish from the edge of the area settled matters.
Mousinho expressed frustration at his team’s inability to convert promising positions into clear-cut chances, whilst acknowledging defensive lapses proved costly.
“The performance was solid for large parts of the game and there are no issues with the effort levels,” the Portsmouth boss stated.
“It’s so disappointing when you play like that away and then switch off for a goal – we didn’t get the press right and it was a bitter blow.”
The manager highlighted attacking deficiencies as a key concern, noting his side repeatedly found good positions without creating sufficient pressure.
“There’s a frustration that we got into some really good areas and kept breaking, but didn’t put our opponents under enough pressure or create enough to score,” Mousinho explained.
“We’re either not shooting or the ball doesn’t get put into the box quickly enough, so it’s something we definitely have to work on. We can do better with the guys we have at the top end of the pitch.”
Mousinho reflected on what might have been: “I could have taken coming away from Swansea with a solid point and not conceding – instead we’ve left with nothing.
“We’ve exited the pitch knowing that we could have done better and left with at least something to show for our efforts. It’s not easy to take.”
The Portsmouth manager acknowledged the urgency of reversing their recent slide down the table.
“We know that we have to start winning games – there’s a big one coming up at the weekend and then more against sides around us over the festive period.”
Portsmouth’s injury situation worsened during the match, with Regan Poole and Josh Knight already absent, whilst Zak Swanson departed early in the second period.
“Josh is more likely to be available in the short-term, but we’re waiting on the scan results for Regan,” Mousinho confirmed.
“Zak was just feeling his back and it’s something that we’ll assess on Wednesday, but we don’t think it’s anything too serious.”
